Cadaver
Though he has been largely forgotten, at one time Cadaver was one of the most well-known villainous masterminds ever to plague Paradigm City. He had gone into retirement well before the Extant Event, but was tracked down by Parasol. Revived by the promise of reliving his former glory days, The Cadaver has once again risen from the grave to harass the residents of Darkness Falls. Background James Lawson Baker promised himself as a young adult that he would resist the British with all of his might. The year was 1773, and the War of Independence was in full swing. As a barrister and land owner, Baker had come to love the brand new country he had moved to from his native London. At twenty years of age he had already made a reputation for himself as a brilliant orator and law enforcer, but the beautiful rolling hills and the autumn bloom of the trees in his new home in Boston. When the Colonists vocalized their fury at the Stamp Act and rebelled against their British rule Baker was among them, joining the Sons of Liberty to discard barrels of tea into Boston Harbor. He then supported the Suffolk Resolves, offering them funding, food, weapons, and a safe haven if they needed it, Seeking a greater means to rid the Colonies of British incursion, Baker violated his own morals and righteous stance when he went in search of a black slave named Mama Goode, whom supposedly had magical powers. He found his quarry dwelling deep in the heart of the Boston Common. Although subjected to a wide variety of verbal and sometimes physical abuse by the old woman he kept coming back begging for her knowledge. When Mama Goode convinced herself that Baker's intentions were honest and sincere, she opened her arms and welcomed him into the world of sorcery and black magic. When Boston was seiged by the British, Baker was on the ramparts. He fired his musket and his pistols at the enemy by day, and by night used his rituals and incantations to inflict disease and madness upon the British fleet. By the end of the War, Baker had accumulated great wealth and respect as a general. Following the formal signing of The Constitution of the United States, he left Boston for the warmer climate of Darkness Falls along the West Coast, supposedly for his health. His motives for relocating, however, were much darker. Once established in Darkness Falls, Baker immersed himself in the black magic arts, drawing on the profound mystic energies of his new home to enhance and amplify his power. In short order he became a cult leader, leading twenty people to 'righteousness' through his Cult of The True Order. The cult remained small, but active until 1823 when Baker's failing health prevented him from remaining in an active leadership role. His cult and his followers crumbled away, leaving the old man to the depths of his mansion. It is said that, fearing death, Baker then communed with darker powers and learned the secrets of immortality. Whatever had happened, his delapidated mansion was purchased by the Darkness Falls state legislature in 1907. They intended to make it a historical sight, and were not prepared to find Baker's decomposed remains as well. He was given a burial with honor. In 1979, James Lawson Baker rose from his grave and resumed his residence of his old mansion, which by this time had become a historical museum. Rather than draw attention to himself by ridding the house of its employees he simply lived in the walls, watching and learning about his new era. Rumors of a dark lord with dark powers hidden in the house drew the disenfranchised and lost to the mansion, and the Cult of The True Order once again saw life. This time, the Cult struck out against the law, performing smash and grab robberies, hold ups, and kidnappings all at the demand of the cult leader, which manifested to his followers as a whispering voice seeping out of the walls. Eventually, the actions of the Cult and the sworn statements of whispering voices from the walls attracted the attention of super-heroes, particularly Badger and Heatwave of the Defenders League. They discovered the truth, and set about trying to eliminate the cult. From 1980 to 1987 The Cadaver was listed as one of the greatest threats to Paradigm City. He plagued it with diseases, swarms of insects, and stomping, unstoppable armies of the dead, including Rots brought in from Raven's Grove. The hero group that conflicted with him the most, The Phalanx, was murdered by Rictus in 1989. Cadaver unexpectedly felt himself utterly bereft without his greatest foes and quietly slipped into retirement. Years went by, during which time the newer generations of heroes sprung up in Paradigm City. These new heroes had little to no knowledge of Cadaver at all and thus the mastermind was almost completely forgotten. On a cold October night as Darkness Falls was celebrating Halloween with parades and street fairs, the front door of Cadaver's mansion was opened by an attractive young girl. She had come to make Cadaver a proposition. Cadaver could not refuse Parasol's invitation and has taken his place as one of the Overlords of Darkness Falls. He has been wholly rejuvenated by the honor and carries out his duties diligently. It is only a matter of time before he turns his attentions wholly to Heroes Unlimited and, in particular, the very last standing member of The Phalanx: Eclipse. Personality Cadaver is one of those villains that still holds on to courtesy and manners as they existed in the 18th and 19th centuries. When he targets a specific hero, he sends a written letter notifying the hero of his scheme in the most polite terms as possible. When a hero wishes to meet with him, they are expected to send a letter of inquiry and await a response. Cadaver cannot and will not tolerate rudeness or lack of decorum in any fashion. Modern social niceties, such as they are, outrage him. When he receives a visitor, hero or otherwise, the visitor can expect to be treated with respect, made comfortable, and offered a refreshment. Even Cadaver's worst enemies are treated this way. He expects that visitors will likewise treat him with respect and courtesy and in his parlor conversations should be had without threats or loss of temper. However, should anyone enter his faded domicile without an express invitation, that rage comes out in all manner of horrors. The house is magically trapped room to room and the rude police officer, hero, or government agent can expect to face their own worst fears, be exploded or incinerated, or eaten by Cadaver's many supernatural watchdogs. He speaks with a very distinctive old English flair, and often comes across as the type of villain one might see in a top hat and cape, twirling his moustache. Skills & Talents As a living (sort of) piece of history, Cadaver is unparalleled in the history of the 17th and 18th centuries. If he were to make his knowledge available to the world he would be the world's leading authority on The War for Independence and the players involved; he knew many of the Founding Fathers personally. Magically, he is deeply learned in the 'schools' of magic that encompass divination, necromancy, and thaumaturgy. He is fluent in Greek, Latin, and Hebrew. Cadaver's refusal to adapt to modern times and make use of technology is his greatest weakness. Most technology baffles and frightens him. Powers Cadaver is the pinnacle of what many evil wizards, especially those of his time, strive to be. Cadaver is a true lich, an undead creature of astonishing power. First and foremost, his physical touch is so cold it drains the strength and the willpower of anyone he clutches within seconds. Being dead, Cadaver has no need to eat, sleep, or breathe. He cannot be affected by gasses, toxins, disease, or poisons; nor can he be truly injured by any weapon unless that weapon is enchanted or has been blessed. He is able to see life energy and essence, and thus is impossible to hide from or ambush. As a black wizard, Cadaver is potent in three areas of magic. In addition to using spells and rituals he is capable of making and utilizing magical items and trinkets such as rings, wands, and staves. Utilizing divination magic, Cadaver is able to extend and utilize all five of his senses to any other spot within 100 miles of himself. He must use something that is stared into, which usually takes the form of one of the myriad magic mirrors, scrying bowls, and crystal balls he is in possession of. By making use of rune stones, bones, or tarot cards he is able to accurately divine a near-future event for an individual, and alter that event as he sees fit. His greatest strength is necromancy. Using this horrible style Cadaver is able to summon the souls of the dead and bind them to his will. He can ibnfuse corpses with a gacsimile of life and send them marching out to meet foes. Worst of all, he is able to use body parts of people or animals in order to give himself their abilities. By wearing a corpse's eyes he can use 360 degree vision, sprinkling the powdered legs of a dead body on himself allows him to run at terrifice speeds, and by imbibing a potion made from the fat of a redently deceased infant he can fly. Wearing animal skins grants him the abilities of that animal: a wold for heightened senses, a rave to fly, a bear for strength, etc. Thaumaturgy is the magic that governs the body. By utilizing the rites and spells of this school he can alter his shape or change it completely, he can appear as any species he desires. He cannot affect others with thaumaturgy unless he has them bound, naked, and prepared; God help the person whom finds themselves in this position! The unfortunate victim can be forced into new forms or bent into awful, horribld shapes; all of which are insanely painful. He can affect the target's blood, bones, tissues, and organs to change blood into water, cause organs to burst or alter their functions, and even turn a person inside out while the victim is still alive and screaming. The Departed